Youngkin announces battery company coming to Berry Hill Mega Site will create 2,000 jobs

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Governor Glenn Youngkin stopped by the Berry Hill Mega Site Wednesday morning to make a big announcement.

He shared that a 500-acre property will be the future home of lithium-ion battery production company Microporous, who today broke ground on their site. The $1.35 billion effort is set to create over 2,000 jobs for the area, according to Youngkin.

Delegate Eric Phillips (R-48th District) said today marked the rebirth of a new manufacturing era on the Southside, adding that advanced manufacturing is the key to workforce success for this area.

“These are clean environments with high tech automated machines and things like that, and they’re really good high paying jobs and they need a skilled work force, and I think we had that here so we couldn’t be more excited,” Phillips said.

The Tennessee-based company creates the separators for the batteries which prevent them from exploding when they get too hot. Officials with the company say they are vital to the safety and longevity of the battery and used in every day technology items like phones and cars.

Cynthia Kolb, director of sales for Microporous, says this will be their largest plant and they need workers for all sectors.

“We’re looking for all types of manufacturing jobs from leadership positions to chemists to engineers to a lot of manufacturing support people to help us,” Kolb said.

Kolb added that Microporous chose to invest here because of the region’s commitment to economic growth.

“They convinced us that they could get the job done at the right time and the right way no other state was able to show that kind of skill set,” Kolb said.

SEE ALSO: Ribboncutting held for connector road between Berry Hill Mega Site and Pittsylvania County

Govenor Glenn Youngkin echoed this moment of economic growth for the region, remembering a time when many fled because of a dying industry.

“This area of course was devastated when the tobacco industry really went away and yet Danville and Pittsylvania County never said that they were giving up,” Govenor Youngkin said.

There are two phases of the project — each will be approximately 500,000 square feet. Construction will start next year, and the plant will open for production by 2026.

But job applications are being taken right now at microporouscareersva.com